posted 10-22-2002 06:59 PM           

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Hello,
I just bought a bala shark two days ago, and also an opaline gourami, they are both in the same tank right now. When they were in the store, they were both very lively, especially the shark, and so i picked the healthiest looking ones of each. The gourami is great and swims constantly, but the shark rarely swims (when it does its in quick jerks) and doesnt eat that i can see. The gourami goes right to the surface and devours the flakes but the bala hides behind a fake plant all the time, he wont even eat blood worms. Are balas middle or bottom feeders? Could it be my water temperature (about 75)? Also, when the shark isnt swimming, it sits behind the fake plant and like fidgets and opens its mouth in sync with the fidgets. Occasionally he moves around pointing down at the bottom with his mouth as if hes searching for food.

Please help me, i dont want my bala to die!!
Thanks

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posted 10-24-2002 01:58 AM           

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Your bala shark is perfectly normal, however they are bottom feeders. Look into buying some bottom feeder food that will sink, instead of float. Just make sure to not overfeed because decaying food at the gravel could cause trouble. Bala sharks seem like they jerk every two or three seconds, but this is perfectly normal as well. Every time they move their fins, they seem to twitch or jerk just to stay afloat.

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posted 10-24-2002 05:14 PM           

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okay, thanks for your help, i thought he was dying or something. If i get another bala or two, will they be more active during the day and whatnot?

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Posts: 96
From:El Paso, Texas
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 10-25-2002 11:41 PM         

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I have a very active bala that is about four years old. They seem to be less timid as they get larger and I don't think there's a problem having more than one in a tank.
Good Luck!

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Posts: 11
From:Utah
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 12-09-2002 04:31 AM            

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Your Bala will be more apt to stay out in the open if you buy him some more Balas. Afterall they are schooling fish and do best by themselves or with 5-6 or more. Anything in between that tend to be fairly aggressive towards one another trying to stake out a territory. I hope this helps.

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